Doubletree.



, WITNESS l C. BITTNER, i

` DOUBLETREE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.24,I911 y Patented; Jan. i, 1918.

. INVENTOR ,4 BY f ITEI) STATES CHARLES BITTNER, OF STAFFORD, KANSAS.

DOUBLETREE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

Application led February 24, 1917. Serial No. 150,835.

To all whom '25 may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES BITTNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stafford, in the county of Stafford and State of Kansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Doubletrees, of which the following is a specification,

This invention relates to doubletrees, and the objects which it is so desired to attain are secured in practice by employing suitable construction of special character which may include a main bar of solid or tubular material, a brace connecting the ends of the bar and clamped thereto, and spaced from the middle portion of the bar by means of suitable spacing and reinforcing devices.

In the accompanying drawing, forming part of this application Figure l is a perspective view of the device.

Fig. 2 is a detail of construction.

Fig. 3 is a further detail showing the construction at the end of the main bar.

The doubletree may be formed by employing a main bar or tubular member indicated by l0, the ends of the tube being cut away at one side to form members 12 designed to be bent at an angle for closing the ends of the tube, in the event that the tubular construction is employed. Said member may have its ends connected by a brace 15 located as shown and designed to resist in Ylarge part any strains placed upon the entire construction.

Brace 15 is formed of strap iron or similar suitable material, and the central portion is spaced from bar 10 by means of a block usually formed of hard wood and illustrated at 1G. Brace or strap 15 is secured at its middle portion by means of bolts 17 passing therethrough and also passing through block 1G and bar 10. Aperture 20 is provided for the accommodation of a clevis 21, anda further aperture 22 is provided for the accommodation of an equalizing member or the like connected with the vehicle to be drawn A reinforcing member 25 of sheet metal extends across block 16, and may eXtend around brace l5 and also around the lower portion of the block. The sheet metal member is apertured in the same manner as the block, and serves as a reinforcing member and prevents wear around the edges of the apertures of the block, which would otherwise soon tend to injure the latter.

At the end of the doubletree, brace 15 is secured by means of a stable 24, the ends of which are threaded and pass through bar 10, being secured by nuts 26. The threaded ends also pass through brace 15 and serve in part to secure the latter; the ends of the brace however, may project-slightly beyond the main portion of bar 10 at the ends, and be clamped in when members 12 are bent at an angle for the purpose of closing the ends of the tube. A doubleclamping device is thereby provided, and the ends of brace 15 are so secured that it will be practically impossible for them to become loosened under any circumstances.

The advantages of the device include simplicity of construction and the greatest pos` sible efficiency in operation.

lVhat is claimed, is

l. In a doubletree, a main bar comprising a tubular member, a brace having its end portions bent into the ends of said tubular member, spacing means between the bar and brace, a device formed on each end of the tubular member and bent at right angles with the walls thereof for closing the end of said member' and clamping the ends of the brace, and securing devices each passing through said tubular member at a plurality of points and through the adjacent end of the brace.

2. In a doubletree, a. main bar comprising a tubular member having its ends cut away at one side and leaving portions adapted to be bent at an angle for closing the ends of said member, a brace having a central portion spaced from the bar, a draft member rigidly mounted at the spaced portions, a protecting device secured to said member last mentioned, staples passing through the ends of the main bar and through the brace, said bent ends of the bar being clamped against the extreme ends of the brace at points beyond the points of engagement with the staples. i

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES BITTN ER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

